Summarize the Lesson::Using Context Clues

Context Clues

Context Clues – What Are They?

• Context clues are bits of information from the text that, when combined with prior knowledge, allow you to decide the meaning of unknown words in the story or article you are reading.
• As a reader you must act similar to a detective and put together clues from sentences surrounding an unknown word in order to make an intelligent “guess” as to what the definition of a word is.

Context Clues – How Do They Help You Read New Words?

• Textbook writers and authors include words or phrases to help their readers understand the meaning of a new or difficult word.
• These words or phrases are built into the sentences around the new or difficult word.  By becoming more aware of the words around a difficult word, readers can make logical guesses about the meanings of many words.

Still Wondering What a Context Clue Is?

Watch a video clip.  Pay careful attention to what the song tells you.

Types of Context Clues

Authors use many different types of context clues when writing texts.  
Three of these types are:

• Direct definition context clues
• Synonym context clues
• Antonym context clues

Direct definition context clues

are words that say, “Stop - don’t touch that dictionary. The definition of the word you don’t know is right here in the text!" 

Synonym context clues

are words around a difficult word that mean the same or nearly the same as the word. 

Antonym context clues

       are words around a difficult word that mean the opposite or nearly the opposite as the word.